Riddle Elementary School Arboretum - Project RESCUE Pictorial Story ~ 2005-2006

Project RESCUE

Riddle Elementary Students Continually Upgrading the Environment

Riddle Elementary School; Mattoon, IL 61938 – Telephone (217) 348-3800

The Pictorial Story

of the

Riddle Elementary School Arboretum

2005-2006 ~ The Third Year

The Story Continues...

Despite mulching and hauling water over the hot, dry summer, we lost a tulip tree, a redbud tree, and the sugar maple. We refused to grow discouraged, though, and began to plan their replacements.

Our class was now involved in Project STAR and
we decided to plant a butterfly garden to provide
a habitat for more wildlife. The ground was turned over and the first planting was begun on 9-21-05.

We placed a butterfly trap in the southeast corner of our arboretum and watched and waited.

Once again we began to plant more trees including a Ginkgo, a White Oak, and an American Sycamore.

Don Higgins visited us on 12-15-05, and this time donated a white ash, a "mystery oak", and planted them with his tree spade.

Spring was finally back to the Arboretum, and we worked together to clean "our house".

Then "Arbor Day" arrived. Our classes were very excited when Mr. and Mrs. Higgins donated a green ash seedling to every fifth grade student at Riddle Elementary School to plant in our own yards. We each felt like "Johnny Appleseed".

"THANK YOU MR. & MRS. HIGGINS!"

We cleaned and weeded the butterfly garden and continued with a final spring planting on 4-28-06.

On that same day we planted a new Tulip Tree to replace the one we lost last summer.

Now it is finally ready for summer's growth and next year's class.

2006-2007

The story continues...

A complete index of trees with additional information for each one